Soul Music
by FallenwaterTheFallen
Summary: If his robot master counterpart received a lifetime companion...Why not Forte.EXE? [Twoshot]
1. Chapter 1

_Go this way. Quickly!_

Latias was never one to question her brother. She rammed through the numbers pulling at her wings, shoving off the data clinging to her feathered body. This whole ordeal was a mess. The graceful psychic was stuck in a place she's never been to before, with only a ball of purity to guide her. The sphere was tucked away in a safe place, but the dragon could still hear her brother's voice urging her forward.

Her wings were beginning to ache. Flight for hours on end, in this strange place...It was placing a strain on her.

 _You mustn't stop moving. You can rest soon, I promise._

And so Latias pressed on.

Eventually, she couldn't move any longer. The ability of flight disappeared on her, and the dragon fell. Her brother was oddly quiet as she unwillingly descended. The peculiar atmosphere changed, but Latias could barely open her eyes. She felt her scales slam against a flat surface. The pokemon merely shifted before going still. She was perfectly content with the hard flooring, even _if_ it was likely out in the open. Latias was simply too _tired._ She hasn't flown so quickly and without rest for days on end. Everything aches too painfully to give anything else much thought.

And her heavy eyelids sluggishly dropped, taking a short rest with the silent approval of her brother's spirit.

...She woke up upon sensing another being nearby. Her senses picked up on the wavelength of someone _odd._ Nevertheless, this creature's emotions were shining through, although it was hard for even the psychic to pick up on the hints. Different beings had differing wavelengths after all, but Latias knew the basics at least. Curiosity, caution, and astonishment were deciphered from the peculiar being's waves.

Her eyes sluggishly opened, and her vision closed in on a funny-looking human. She stared into his ruby eyes. The other stared back, equally intrigued. He didn't have a unique smell or hold smaller wavelengths of contained pokemon by his waist. This meant he wasn't a trainer. He also had an odd outfit. The helmet looked most ridiculous, but Latias was used to humans and their weird designs. ...Is this human lost? No, she must've accidentally intruded on his territory.

Her senses focused further.

...Nevermind. He isn't human. His wavelength was too different than one of a human's. ...Then, what is he? He's not one of her kind. She would've been able to feel it. His body heat isn't exactly normal either. He isn't a dragon, nor is he any other type of pokemon. A new species, most definitely. Latias has never met anyone like him before. Should she attempt linking with him? Would that be dangerous, considering the fact she wasn't confident of the other's mental abilities?

Latias stiffened when she felt impatience shoot through the other. Her neck shrunk in, the pokemon unable to properly show intimidation due to her newly awakened state.

"Shoo." He appeared to glance around the quiet area for a moment before finally focusing on her. One of his hands appeared to be on the defensive despite having a relaxed form. "Go on. Get out of here." The odd creature spoke a little louder, a bit annoyed. "I'm not sure how you got here, but that's not my problem. Go back to...Wherever you came from." He ended it off awkwardly, and the dragon merely stared at him.

...Well, she can understand him perfectly. So he must be human-like in that regard.

"You're not going to move? I can just delete you. Don't make this difficult. I'm doing you a favor." He grunted, and Latias laid her head back on the flat ground. She made sure to glance upwards without moving her body, puppy eyes shining. ...If this worked on humans then it's bound to work on him too!

She sensed a tiny shift in his emotions, but that was all.

"...Be out of here by early morning. If I still see you around, I won't hesitate to delete you, whatever you are. Neither will the rest of the trashy navies here." His ruby eyes appeared to squint before relaxing. "Don't mess with anything either." With that, the one in black took several non-threatening steps back before turning heel and apparently leaving her alone.

Latias isn't a fond of being left by herself. Her brother was currently silent, leaving Latias to her own mind. The psychic never enjoyed the loneliness from being isolated.

And so she followed him. The red and white dragon willed herself to float, and she trailed after him in the very same silence he left her in. The odd creature on two legs merely spared her a glance, slight surprise being read off his wavelength. He didn't pause in his steps, however, and allowed her to follow. The creature was watching her closely now, but Latias didn't sense any ill-will from him.

They were walking for a while, and soon, he sat down. The weird creature appeared to be slightly bored, if not, at peace with his surroundings. The dragon couldn't understand why. There weren't trees, grass or anything lively here. What's to be content about? This wide space was mostly blank really, with a few odd structures she didn't understand herself. Everything looked incomplete to her. Err, to each their own?

Latias floated above him to inspect his weird fin-head, but a sharp violet shift in his frequency resulted in her to take a mellow approach to being friendly. She floated back down, right above the ground to demonstrate the fact she meant no harm. Her ears even bent backward a little, to apologize. Her gaze remained on him as he stared back with those scarlet hues of his.

In hindsight, it's a bit rude to observe others without permission. She could practically hear her brother scold her through the crystal sphere he resided in.

The other appeared to keep his guard, but the wavelength calmed back to a non-threatening state.

Time passed, and Latias felt the need to explore. She eventually flew off, leaving the other alone. The roles have reversed, only, Latias wasn't going to leave him out of sight. She merely wanted to inspect everything around her. There wasn't much to see, however, so the dragon came back only minutes later. She knew he'd been watching her the entire time. Does that mean he was interested in her abilities? Latias ended up wondering if that's a good thing or not.

Her vision darted to the other's hands. For a moment, she swore his hand twitched. The limb stilled immediately though, so there likely wasn't any meaning behind it. He didn't have a hostile aura either.

Impatient, Latias approached him again, head lowered, but eyes sparkling with her own type of curiosity.

Did he wish to touch her feathers? Latias could be wrong, but many liked the soft texture of her wings and ears. She doesn't mind being scratched there. As long as he didn't pull or anything like that. Her head tilted in her own type of inquiry. The other's wavelength has once again spiked in a slightly negative direction, but she couldn't figure out why. At least he remained in a neutral state of action.

"Forte? Are you there?" A new voice resounded throughout the area.

Latias immediately fled into her only defense, invisibility. She glanced around for this 'Forte' person, confused by the human appearing in a digital window. Now _he_ was definitely a human. Old, but still a human of the same species she came to know. Her thoughts drifted when the odd creature next to her gained a frequency of admiration and golden trust. Latias' presence was almost non-existent to him for a solid moment. His feelings tossed out the unnecessary. The emotions were nearly strong enough to influence her to drop her guard. Thankfully she had an immunity in regards to her own safety. To be safe, the dragon floated a few inches away from the weird creature.

"Here, Doctor." The odd being called back, and Latias blinked as she made the connection. Oh, so _Forte_ is his name? Unique and cool sounding. "Are you doing well?" The annoyance from earlier was gone, replaced with blinding positivity.

"A bit achy in the back, but quite fine. How about you, Forte? Improve your skills lately?" The man in the floating screen appeared content with their conversation. He was smiling pleasantly, eyes squinted in warm pride. Wherever the human was, Latias could still sense his honest wavelength. Faint, but she was able to touch the waves.

"I think so, but I found something interesting when testing out my ability to sense viruses." Forte continued with eyes trailing to the floor.

"You did? What was it?" The human sounded intrigued.

"I found a virus, but I don't think it's a virus?" Forte ended off his words with a question. His sharp eyes darted over to Latias' spot, and the dragon flinched upon his accuracy. She floated an inch away, bothered by this new development. "I'm not sure what it is." He admitted almost sheepishly. The human behind the floating window appeared surprised.

"What do you mean by that, Forte? A virus is a virus. Where is...This specimen now? I could take a look at it if you didn't delete the little troublemaker yet." The old human offered, and Forte gave him a tiny nod.

Latias barely had time to react as the other leaped at her. His expression was impassive yet dangerous. How could she avoid him? Shock and recoil rippled through her scales like waves, and the dragon released a shriek upon hitting the ground roughly. Her head slammed into the surface, and her wings felt pinned. Immediately she struggled but stilled when catching wind of the other's high frequency to _harm_ if she didn't remain docile.

"Ah…!" The gasp of amazement only further increased her fears.

Her feathers began to rise, just a bit. The psychic didn't have to look in order to know her invisibility had dropped during the scuffle.

"What...What _is_ that?" The human was a gap, and Latias winced at the mere implications of such a statement.

"...That's why I'm asking _you,_ Doctor Cossack." Forte reminded him, a bit patient with the old human behind the window.

There was a cough to cover up the mistake. "Yes well," The human cleared his throat. "I certainly haven't seen a virus like it before. Is it hostile?" inquired curiously, beginning to stare with wavelengths of excitement and faint wariness. The pinned dragon averted her own eyes. "Granted, it even turned invisible!" The eagerness made her uncomfortable. She could catch the human doing something in the background of the window, and the sounds of tapping plastic made her uneasy.

"I'm going to let you go now." The unique creature murmured, and there was a hum of confirmation from the other before Latias' wings were finally free.

The red dragon wasted no time in taking to the air, a quick stretch of the wings sending her several feet away from the human and Forte. She had protectively kept her claws in, holding the very object she wanted to protect. It was an act of defense. She no longer wanted any part with their schemes. Did the human scan her with one of those electric boxes? Is that why Forte kept her still? Gold hues stared holes into relaxed ruby pits.

Forte appeared to scoff. His wavelength held a twinge of unease at her unadulterated disapproval. He eventually looked back to Doctor Cossack, but obviously watched her in the corner of his vision. "Did you find anything?"

"Not a thing." The old human sounded a bit stressed. "The creature doesn't have the components of a virus either. Could it be a new programme? Or perhaps even a baby virus that doesn't register until it reaches a different stage?" The talk flew over the pokemon's head. "What do you think, Forte?" The question directed toward the dark colored being finally drew Latias a few feet backward.

"I think," There was a pause, and Forte blankly stared at her. "I think the virus doesn't like me. It used to, but not anymore. I think its..." He continued staring in her direction, and Latias held up her own defenses with an equal stare. "Cautious, probably?" He muttered under his breath, but the psychic could sense amusement in his frequency.

"I don't think it's a virus." Doctor Cossack helpfully offers his opinion. "I don't think it's a netnavi either. The bases just don't match up. Nevermind about its own coding." He reasoned with a slight breath of frustration. "Something new?" Those words were matched with the faint thrill of finding the answer.

Latias shuddered, a ripple running through her scales.

"It's _your_ call," Forte mumbled. "What am I supposed to do with it? The usual?" The dragon did not like how the strange being leered in her direction. Those eyes held battle ready eagerness, but Latias didn't want to fight. She also had a mere feeling this sort of 'battle' would be to the death rather than sport. Her home suddenly seemed far away...

"Well, since it's not doing any harm; I suppose it can stay...For now. Unless it somehow leaves on its own accord of course." mumbled. "Keep an eye on it, won't you? I'll inform the others. They might want to..." He trailed off, a bit uncomfortable. "Anyway, please take care of yourself, Forte. I can't do any battle simulations with you right now, unfortunately." The old human released a heavy breath. He murmured something about being occupied with too many meetings today.

"Got it."

There was a shuffle of movement before the aged man gave a friendly wave. "Let's talk later, Forte. Alright?" He gave the dragon one last look before the pokemon heard another tap on plastic. The window then vanished, leaving Latias in a state of confusion on where the human went. Why did the picture disappear? Where did the human go? ...Why is she sensing loneliness and disappointment from the creature several feet away?

Without a word, she touched upon the frequency with a twitch of the ears. Her own form was greeted with negativity, with a twinge of satisfaction that wasn't hers.

 _He probably got lonely when his human friend left._ Her brother helpfully told her. He'd been quiet for a while, and she was growing concerned. One less worry, then. _Some humans are like that._ His thoughts were always calming to her. She pushed passed the other's emotions and focused on her brother's. Brotherly warmth filled her, and the dragon floated next to Forte. The strange being was sitting on the floor again, although this time he was intent on watching her as instructed.

However, what her brother said didn't make sense. The other isn't human, not with his aura and wavelength. Granted as stated earlier; Forte wasn't a pokémon either. Why would he suddenly decrease in mood because the human from before left? Is it because he admired the aged human? For what reason? They obviously weren't blood-related. What's with this deep loneliness and overwhelming patience?

 _Humans and pokémon are not the only beings with similar mental mindsets._ Her brother gently reminded her, and Latias picked up her head with a silent nod.

Ah yes. He was right. She was going about this all wrong.

In this world, creatures like Forte are the pokemon, and humans are still the trainers.

This meant…!

Latias flew back over to the dark clothed creature. Her senses twinged with excitement, and with the way Forte eyed her weirdly, she wondered what her eyes showed him. The dragon stretched her neck forward, careful not to go overboard like last time. Thankfully, all she got was a stare. Eventually, she leaned in close, close to his face. Unease began to tug at Forte's wavelength, but Latias didn't give him a case to escape.

"Agh!" The reaction given wasn't exactly a positive one.

Forte had leaped two feet away, rubbing away at the possible slobber left on his face. Disgust radiated off him, but Latias only tilted her head.

Did she do something wrong…?

"You see me as food?" Forte scowled, fists forming. His wavelength had lost the patience he had moments ago. "Fine. Come _on!_ " He hissed, but Latias merely turned invisible without a second thought and decided to leave him be for an hour or so. "...Aren't you going to fight me? Where are you going?" The dragon swiftly made her way a few yards away and took to taking a break.

She had already made a few mental notes about the strange being known as Forte.

He was certainly a hothead.

* * *

"So it _wasn't_ trying to eat me?"

"Not to my knowledge, no. I'm certain the creature would've already attacked you; if it truly wanted to." rubbed his chin, apparently a habit. "I believe that type of behavior...Is friendly?" This conversation started immediately after Forte greeted upon return, and he apologized for losing sight of the proclaimed 'new program'(?).

The two had conversed about the topic for several minutes, following up with Forte's last interaction with the red and white creature.

"Friendly?" Forte's tone of voice held a hint of sarcasm.

appeared amused by this though, and gave the netnavi a tiny smile. "Almost like an actual support program's affection. Who knows?" Although the scientist felt as if his guess was more like a leap of faith. Oh, but he believed in his netnavi's powers. Forte can take care of himself if any trouble arises. He's grown quite a bit from the curious blank slate Cossack had known. Ah, he's so proud of him… "Why don't you attempt to reciprocate friendliness toward it? Perhaps something will work out." He offered advice, and nearly beamed when the helmet wearing netnavi gave a tiny nod in reply.

"I'll do as you asked." Forte murmured.

shook his head. "No, Forte. I meant you should _try_ but you don't have to. It's your decision." Ah, but maybe Forte should ease off on following his orders.

The reply he received was another small bob of the navi's head, and Cossack couldn't help but sigh with upturned lips. "Well, since it may or may not come back, let's not dwell on the topic for now. How about we do a few tests on your new battle skills?" The spark in his netnavi's eyes only fueled the chuckle from Cossack's chest.

"Alright then. Let's get started."

* * *

"Hey."

Latias, invisible as a habit of precaution, stared ahead at the dark clothed netnavi in front of her. He was attempting to say something. She was content floating in place, a few feet away from him. The dragon knew Forte could sense her to some degree, and made effort to keep away when covering herself. Avoiding him was easy, but his wavelength demonstrated less negative emotions than usual. He had long cooled down, it seemed. Innocent curiosity had once again appeared dominant in the other's emotions.

She revealed herself two minutes later, blinking as Forte adopted another twinge in frequency. The shift was hard to pinpoint, but Latias could feel uncertainty in his posture.

"I uh...Heard you weren't actually trying to eat me." He started awkwardly, and his eyes averted for a split second before coming back with a blank look. "So I'll tolerate you again."

 _He isn't like any human we've met._ Her brother's words soothed her as she approached. _Why don't you do what you do best?_

Latias didn't know what Latios meant, but she could try.

The dragon approached Forte again, head low and non-threatening. Her gaze didn't move from his as she rose her head a little, high enough to push against the being's arm. She retreated moments later but didn't leave within arm's reach. Her golden hues remained on his scarlet ones, waiting. She did her best to project positive influence on the other, showing her own friendly vibes without shoving it on him.

A hand was finally lifted, hesitantly making contact with her scales. His touch was warm, a contrast to her cold plates.

Latias softly cooed, a bit satisfied with the other's slightly dropped defenses. Her own vocals surprised the being, but Forte got over it quickly. He likely found her vocals calming, as humans described her species' cries to be pleasant to the ears when heard. A pebble gently dropped in water, apparently. His form relaxed the slightest as he began petting her. She pushed into his touch, happily 'purring' since he no longer held hesitation.

Eventually, he stopped, likely bored with the notion. Latias stretched her wings a little further than usual and flew around the dark clothed being. Pointless circles of fun, no harm whatsoever. She was merely being playful. There was no spike in emotion, and so the dragon cooed in happiness due to finally finding a mutual understanding with Forte. She eventually paused in flight, stopping near the ground.

"I guess you're not _that_ bad…Whatever you are." Forte mumbled, and Latias replied in a small squeal of delight. "Uhuh. Whatever that means." Scarlet eyes appeared to roll in slight mock, resulting in Latias' swift movement to pull his legs out from under him. ...However, the navi dodged the moment her swipe came close. "Heh." There was a snort close to pride, and a tiny grin on his lips.

Latias retreated several inches in wonder. This creature keeps surprising her more and more. He was definitely battle capable, but being this skilled likely had an impact on his personality. The dragon kept her gaze on him. She had to ponder...Did he have any friends besides that human from before?

"...What are you looking at now?" Forte seems to be growing in curiosity with her actions. Perhaps it because she was unique, just like him. In each other's eyes, the other was a new being entirely.

 _Likely not. He was lonely when the human left, so the human is his only companion._ Her brother helpfully replied.

Latias' wings flattened a little. Sounds very lonely, no one deserves that. She knew the experience at first claw when her brother suddenly disappeared on her for days. Those days and nights were dark as she wandered for him. Her only family left, just to find his soul, long crystallized.

 _Then what are you going to do about it?_ Her brother whispered, his very thoughts prodding her mind. The psychic was puzzled, staring at the dark navi with attentiveness. She already had her answer, but the question spoke of her future actions in large sound waves. The dragon quietly cooed to the other, attempting to call out to him.

Forte, however, appeared finished with their interaction for the day. He gave her one last look before starting off in a certain direction. Once again, she followed after him. He didn't stop this time, merely leaving her presence as a neutral passenger. The walk was fairly short, but the dragon could tell they traveled quite the distance. Where was this? The area certainly felt different and prone to her abilities. Less guarded, so to say. The aura contrast to the atmosphere in the previous location had fewer defenses.

...This wasn't _Forte's_ space, so why was he…?

"I'm busy, so leave me alone," Forte mumbled under his breath, but Latias caught his words anyway. An unpleasant chill ran down her back. The dragon's ears flattened a little after sensing an emotion not found before. She turned away to fly back, checking on him one last time with her expert eyes. Gold tints remained on ruby, both still and unchanging. The feathered dragon checked his wavelength again, confirming her internal warnings. She slowly and _carefully_ backed away.

Yes. That was the look of a challenge. A brutal incoming battle for someone unknown, and she wasn't going to stick around for it. Forte was a creature of savage battle. Definitely not a pokemon, but similar in the ways of craving a fight. She wouldn't stop him for his likes and faults. Everyone is different after all, which is what her brother often told her. Latias wouldn't judge him.

...However the next time she saw him; the creature had not left his battle high. She found him wandering his own space, but he seemed off. Was this because of what happened yesterday? The psychic wasn't around at the time, but he didn't _smell_ injured. Forte's limbs were tense, and his fingers occasionally twitched in restlessness. Signs of sickness?

The dragon sensed the waves of disquiet and backed off immediately in her invisibility. The sharp glance tossed in her direction proved her efforts futile, however, and Latias hesitated in moving further. Instead, she took the risk of revealing herself again. The hidden gem she held whispered warnings but the red dragon ignored the words of caution. Underneath all the negative energy resided sickening anger turned frustration.

Frustration for what? Latias would likely never figure it out.

Instead, she approached like before, gently nudging his arm. His ruby eyes darted to her, but Latias only repeated her action with a faint call of concern.

She was pleasantly surprised when Forte lightly flicked her nose. "Still here?" He mumbled, and Latias nodded in reply. "You really need to explore elsewhere. SciLabs isn't the only place to see." The dragon gave him a look of puzzlement. "It's not friendly to unique creatures either." He appeared to huff, and Latias gave him another nudge. "What? Don't believe me? I could show you…" The psychic looked elsewhere, wisely disinterested. "Hm. You're really more intelligent than you look."

Latias blinked at him.

"I mean, under that adorable face. You look like a giant stuffed...Thing humans keep around." Forte explained, and the dragon understood immediately.

... _Wait_ , do they have Latias poke plushies? Hmm...

A sudden sigh and the dragon gazed over at her current partner for conversation. He looked slightly distressed, teeth grit and eyes glazed with disappointment.  
"Talking to a giant bird thing...Right." Forte quietly repeated under his breath.

 _Yes, he really doesn't have any other beings of contact to be friends with._ Her brother confirmed, Latias picturing a nod from the blue other. _If you're planning something, I won't stop you. As long as it isn't dangerous._ Her brother warned, and the psychic gave her own invisible mental nod. She withdrew from most of Forte's emotions for a split moment. She had to decide on her own terms, and not with the other's feelings on her neck. She would make an effort to stay by him by her _own_ accord. Not circumstance, even if that was easier.

"Whatever." The odd creature breathed in irritation from his own thoughts Latias couldn't hear. Her ears rose an itch. "It won't do me any harm." It appears Forte came to his own decision a while ago as well. He soundlessly sat back on the floor, crossing his legs as one would during meditation. He wasn't doing anything of the sort, however, and so the dragon merely blinked at his weird actions. Forte was still staring her down though but looked uncertain to speak further than he already had.

Latias quickly joined him, flying to the ground and resting next to his side. The other didn't show it, but after diving back into his frequency for a short moment, the pokemon could sense the bewilderment and tint of fresh wonder. The dragon released a gentle sound, almost as if she was asking to stay for a while. There was no reply, but there wasn't a spike of negativity either. She finally cut off the one-way connection and decided to test the other in her own way.

And so, Latias stayed remained with the odd creature for a long while.

She followed him around and even stayed when the aged human came back. Latias still refused to be a test subject of research, but she demonstrated respect and friendliness. To her surprise, the favor was returned by the human who occasionally popped in from the strange floating window. no longer eyed her as something unusually fascinating, but as a mutual acquaintance despite being unable to speak his language.

Forte, described to be a creature called a 'netnavi', often stayed by himself. With her around, he became much more patient and friendly toward her. There were no longer any gazes of cautious curiosity, and he became more open about stroking the top of her head. She found his touches to be gentle, and the action calmed him more than it did her. The human found out about this activity and had a good laugh about it, much to Forte's dismay. The human became a lot more welcoming due to this event.

Latias eventually concluded Forte (and maybe the human) wasn't too bad.

"You know, we never gave it a name." mused one day, drinking tea in the floating window Latias constantly bore holes into. She still wondered about today's human inventions. Could pokemon capture devices become more powerful with this type of knowledge? "Shouldn't we come up with one?" He brought the conversation into the open, and Latias laid her head on the ground, leaning against the once-unfriendly navi who watched the blank 'skies'.

"Her," Forte mumbled quietly.

"Hmm?" The atmosphere remained calm and tranquil.

"This creature," Forte gestured to the relaxing dragon. Fingers twitched but didn't move to run across her smooth scales. "Is of the female sex." He explained, red eyes soon averting back to the above. "And so perhaps we can start naming her from that hint." He quietly told before closing his eyes. "Honestly. She likely already has a name, but we don't understand it."

 _Ah, he's awfully considerate._ Her brother's thoughts hummed in approval.

"Well, I think it's proper to call her something at _least_ so she knows we're speaking about her." The aged human reasoned. "Wouldn't you agree?" inquired with a gentle tone.

There was a huff in reply, but there was no negativity behind it. A simple acceptance to the other's pestering.

"How about... _Piano?_ " Latias didn't have to look to know the human was grinning in amusement. She allowed a tiny snort to leave her as friendly annoyance arose.

"With all the due respect, Doctor… _No."_ Forte glanced over at the red and white dragon, but she merely remained docile and relaxed with her wings. He finally glanced back at the screen. "I think we both _know_ the reason why." And Latias somewhat shared their joke as well. Only somewhat, as the dragon knew little about music terms and more of how notes may sound. Did Forte listen to music in his free time?

She has yet to see that.

"Of course, Forte. I was only joking." mused with playful gleams in his eyes. "Well, I'm actually quite terrible at names…" There was a dramatic pause, and the netnavi next to the Lati began to give off vibes of protectiveness and reassurance. Before the dark clothed humanoid could protest, the aged human spoke again. "How about _you_ come up with a name?" The offer floated around for a couple moments of silence before Forte could finally respond.

"But, Doctor Cossack I've never-" The objection fell on purposely deaf ears.

"No. I'm confident you can name her, after all. You've found her first." The human continued with an air of pride surrounding him despite being elsewhere. "However if you _do_ find yourself having trouble, then we'll come up with one together, okay?" Latias made eye contact when the human gazed at her. "Is that alright?" At least he was asking for permission, another sign of respect for her.

She nodded because the whole matter didn't affect her negatively.

The dragon closed her eyes for a moment, content with just listening to the chatter between Forte and the human he favored. She still didn't understand their relationship, but Forte liked him a lot. His wavelength would always brighten up in positivity when the aged human was around. There were no exceptions, his fondness for the human was simply that strong.

Latias wondered if she'll _ever_ reach that level of care. She certainly had with her brother, but no one else. A family bond is hard to create, a bit rare if the other came from the outside.

A gentle hand rubbed her neck. Despite her eyes being closed, Latias knew the other thought she went to sleep. Well, why not? His touches were certainly soothing to both her feathers and scales. A small nap wouldn't be too bad. Her brother wasn't objecting either. He's been quiet, but not too silent. Her sibling would've protested if he didn't want her sleeping next to Forte. Even her brother had grown to like the dark clothed humanoid despite his quirks.

Latias quietly breathed and made sure to lean completely on the netnavi as if he were a pillow. Her scales caught the recoil of a tiny jolt in surprise. Her ears detected amused laughter from further away. Hm, it wasn't Forte's. Not because she's heard him laugh before (because that's false); who laughs when they gain an aura of annoyance?

Her thoughts drifted to familiar scenes of home, where the sky was blue and the greenery was a lush green. The clouds went by without a care, and the sunlight was warmer than whatever artificial light she's been exposed to the past few months. The windy days and the cool water under her claws, the dragon found a single thought among the rest of her homesick days.

Forte doesn't go anywhere besides this secluded space and the surrounding areas(to fight _something._ ). He should get out more. Latias would gladly show him a few places he might like. Instead, he remains cooped up in this area with strange humans and other creatures like him...Which isn't a bad thing. It's just concerning, as Forte was a free spirit. Being cooped up like this, isn't it suffocating?

Perhaps the constant loneliness came from the lack of interaction with the rest of the world, the leftover emotions bundling together into a mushed time bomb. She still doesn't know how to remedy this, even with Forte's calmer wavelengths lately. It's not like she could drag him out into the open. That would undo all her work in an instant. Latias was likely his only 'friend' aside from the aged human he liked. She shouldn't give him a reason to distrust her.

Latias felt herself drift into the land of dreams, lured by the soft chatter from the other two beings. Latias shifted to get increasingly comfortable, the gem she held in its hidden place, cool and tranquil to the mind.

Hmm, you know what? She'll think of something…If not. The dragon will merely wait, as they apparently had all the time in the world.

* * *

When Latias returned to the area Forte usually resided, she sensed unfamiliar bland wavelengths. The dragon forced herself into invisibility, flying further in to check on her hotheaded companion. She could feel his brother's unease, but her own clouded his and her mind swarmed on what might be occurring here. Was the netnavi okay? Did he get hurt, and need medical assistance? Is that why there's...More creatures like _him_ walking around?

Several netnavies were invading Forte's territory. They weren't actively destroying anything, but that didn't give them the right to be here. Why are they in Forte's space without any supervision from the dark navi himself?

Ugh, she can't find him _anywhere!_ Where did the hot head humanoid _go?_

 _Calm down. Use your senses and pry out his individual frequency._ Her brother commanded, several levels calmer than she was. Several more questions shot through her thoughts, but a warning spike from her spirited sibling chased those reckless ideas back into the void.

Latias did as he advised, closing her eyes to focus. The multiple waves were weaved around with one another, tangling themselves like knots in thin string. It was hard to see past this, the several frequencies blocking her concentration. She took another moment to calm herself, stretching her neck back and forth. The dragon tried again, poking around the wavelengths with a much more patient mindset. Several minutes flew by before she finally picked up on the location for a mountain of familiar annoyance.

The red and white dragon didn't waste a second, tracking down Forte's unique signature.

She found him guarded-No, _harassed_ by several of his kind. The dragon's wings stretched further in attempt to do _something_ , but she paused upon the slight glare tossed at her.

Latias pulled back, ears stiff and eyes disappointed. She knew full well why Forte silently leered daggers for her silence. The psychic would likely worsen the situation. It's even possible she'd be seen as a threat, and her growls wouldn't scare them off. ...Not to mention her roars were never intimidating. Her sibling always had the best vocals.

 _What's that on his wrists?_ Speaking of the spirit; her brother spoke up from his hiding place. Latias glanced toward the dark clothed netnavi, observing from a distance. Forte had long stopped glaring, instead of looking disinterested at the insults tossed at him. His wavelength still radiated annoyance and even a decent amount of _loath._ Latias waited for the other netnavies to leave, spitting other insults like tiny barking poochyenas. The dragon breathed in exasperation, flying down to Forte and attempting to nudge his arm.

She viewed the panic in his wavelength a moment too late.

Latias hit the ground as she convulsed in pain, curling in on herself in attempt to redirect the current electricity running through her scales. A soft whine left her throat as her ears picked up the faint words of swears, a frequency of concern seeping into her mind. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to perform Recover while she latched onto the emotional wavelength keeping her grounded from the harm. She shivered, ruffling her feathers and levitating back up once getting enough strength back. Her eyes opened, inspecting the hard-to-see barrier surrounding her friend.

Speaking of him, his gloved hands looked horribly burned. Latias cooed in worry, but Forte quickly glanced away; the slightest scowl on his face. His concern remained, but a new spot of relief had opened up. Several seconds passed before the dragon figured out he was worried for her wellbeing. The thought alone made her smile a bit, brightening up her so-far depressing day. The situation caught up with her again though, and Latias allowed herself to become sorrowful for her friend.

Why did they do this to him? Did the aged human stand by, and let this happen?

"Don't," The dragon glazed upwards at the grumbling netnavi. "Don't look at me like that. It's only temporary." He explained a bit brashly, but his own ruby eyes looked tired despite the patience swirling around. "I can't play with you today, so just get out of here." He used a hand movement to shoo her away, like the first time they had met. The dark clothed humanoid twitched when she didn't sway. "Leave me alone!" Forte hissed, fangs beginning to show the amount of outward emotion he showed.

Latias merely curled up on the floor as if this was one of their weekly sessions of calm naps. Like all the times before he was being difficult, the dragon dismissed his harsh demands and forcefully comforted him by simply being present. His sharp sentences eventually faded into a familiar silence. For a short a moment, the peace from days before had come back. Only for a short while.

"At least turn yourself invisible again." Forte murmured in resignation, and Latias did as requested without a second thought. The netnavi snorted in amusement, but his wavelength resided in the very same tense annoyance as before. The dragon merely watched him, and after a moment, Forte finally shifted. "Do you think...These look weird on me?" He gestured to the odd devices latching onto his wrists.

Latias lightly snorted, and her sibling would've done the same if he was physically there. What a silly question.

 _It looks terrible._ The quiet opinion floated on deaf ears, but only one occupant heard it.

"I thought so too." Forte murmured as if he heard any reply at all.

And they remained together until came to check up on the netnavi again. Despite the human's earlier absence, she didn't want her friend to be alone for too long. The dragon left them together with a quick nod, planning to come back straight away. Latias simply needed some time to cool off. Perhaps go on a small rampage in the scheduled parts of this odd place.

Just because she was a friendly pokemon doesn't mean keeping her rage bottled up is a healthy way to cope with her friend's issue.

This whole situation really _did_ suck.

Latias will admit, she got a little held up.

As she was flying back with her usual cloaked self, her mind wandered to the past events of the last several hours.

Her feathers were a bit ruffled from beating up monsters, but otherwise; the psychic was in good shape. She had battled with the beasts of this realm, coming out on top after a whole group showed up. The dragon was forced to flee, but not before causing some destruction on their end, first. Despite this, the red-hot emotions running through her had cooled to her normal temperature. Her mind was now open to familiar wavelengths, and her remaining anger had disappeared into the air.

Now, to check up on Forte.

Latias wasn't even ten yards into the territory before she felt it; an erratic frequency clashing with her own calm demeanor. The dragon halted, nearly crashing into the ground as she shook her head vigorously to avoid getting caught up in the deep waves of _hate, desperation,_ and _anger._ The three emotions bled into the air, and Latias took a few seconds to realize where the source was coming from. There was no mistaking it, as the raw emotions moved in a similar way to a certain netnavi with the strange helmet.

She jetted forwards, her wings sharp and straight to gain increasing velocity. The dragon likely hasn't flown _this_ fast since the day she first arrived here, but this was different.

Her friend was in trouble.

 _He's still alive._ Her brother whispered as freezing panic began to mix, and Latias couldn't tell if it was her own feelings or not. She held onto her brother's remaining link, somewhat frantic as her eyes darted around for the dark clothed humanoid. _Don't be reckless!_ Yet his voice was quieter than usual, less clear. She couldn't hear him over the wind in her ears. At least she thought it was the wind brushing off her scales at the _insane speed_ she was flying at. Hopefully, the air would ease the control over her racing veins as well. As well as her shaking hidden claws, and her lightheadedness….

Each few feet closer only heightened these senses. Instability rattled her clear ability to distinguish the other frequencies edging their way to her thoughts. They did little to affect her, however, unlike the one frequency, she completely focused on.

 _Latias!_ A faint whisper resounded at the back of her mind. It was a desperate plea, but the psychic could barely listen over the cotton balls placed over her mental hearing.

The psychic paused in flight upon finding the chaos. The sudden stop released silent waves of recoil, but the flying dragon was resistant to the brunt of it. Immediately, she scanned the area with the many netnavies rushing into a deadly battle. A few of them paused, obviously sensing s _omething_ , but they couldn't find her. Latias' golden eyes soon spotted who she was looking for, the dark clothed navi busy fighting for his life.

The whole scene had strings wrapping around her wings, halting any further movement she could've made as her mind simply blanked at the mere chaos going on. Whoever called out to her had gone silent as well. At the back of her mind, she could pick up bits of horror which wasn't hers.

Even with those odd devices on his wrists, the netnavi looked to be fighting tooth and nail. Forte was surrounded by enemies, his fellows who _shouldn't be doing this to him._ The netnavi was fighting with the bare strength he had left, along with whatever abilities he had left to his disposal. There wasn't much creativity in his attacks, signaling he was severely limited. Despite this, he was bravely holding his ground. Forte had obviously wiped out several of the enemies in front of him.

His power was scary, but numbers were beginning to wear him down.

The hotheaded netnavi had long exploded in rage, and Latias could feel the erratic frequency pounding against her skull. The contagious waves of utter violence and bleeding bloodshed spat and bit at her nerves but Latias' vision zoomed in on a lone humanoid going in for the kill. Her mouth opened, but no sound escaped her as her veins turned solid cold. Her entire being tensed up in defense when her only friend of this current time fell to the ground. He looked crippled, pained.

This was the first time she had seen Forte terribly injured. He tried to get up with shaking arms, but that wasn't going to happen with the horrible wound he sustained. The wounded humanoid slid back to the ground with a dull thump, teeth gritting to hide the expression of despair over the odd particles fleeing his chest.

His entire wavelength rippled as panic and desperation grew past the hate and the _sorrow._ His pride was thoroughly trashed as the netnavi did his best to hold the wound shut. It wasn't working, but the mere action spat shards of invisible glass into the psychic's heart. Her hidden claws twitched as her scales finally regained feeling.

Cries of triumph from the opposition descended as the dark navi didn't get up.

The monstrous netnavies took another step, but that was all Latias would allow them. Their hostility was poisonous. In her opinion, their entire existence was meaningless pawns with too much ego.

Ears straight, the dragon zoomed in like a rocket. Her smooth and sharp wings batted stray netnavies away, tossing a few into the air as she finally reached her fallen friend. She hovered over him but didn't waste a second in her actions of swiftness. Stillness and stress weighed her head down, but the rage behind it fueled her next movements. Invisibility dropped, allowing hesitation and caution from the other side to pause their actions of senseless murder.

Latias allowed the hostility to consume her, bang against her mental psychic shields. A sudden clash shook her vision as the area seemed dark under her sharp vision. Malice reached her lungs and the dragon felt each of her feathers ruffle themselves defensively. Fangs shined in the distinct light of glowing weapons as her own rancor dropped off her very being.

The netnavies then barked _something_ but the dragon was already too far in her retaliation.

Another quiet breath and she _roared_ , her vocals reaching a high pitched shrill big enough to cause the enemies to cover their ears in pain. Claws came out, and the souldew in one of her arms glowed. Her body gained a thin line of blue and she felt shielded to a degree. The dragon's rage did not waver, and she was unnaturally impatient. The wavelength below was steadily getting weaker and so _Latias will finish this here and now._ The mist- formed while her claws raked the tense atmosphere as she raised an arm. The grey smog alarmed the beings of enmity, but she didn't allow them to react in time.

Latias tossed the attack down and under the chaos and earthquake she created, the dragon had disappeared along with the injured humanoid in her arms.


	2. Chapter 2 Aftermath

Her feathers had long fallen back into the smooth texture of cleanness as she flew. The area was highly unfamiliar as she crossed different boundaries from the areas her mind had grown accustomed to. Latias had dove deep, eager to get away from the savages above. It hasn't been ten minutes since the escape, but within that time period; the dragon had pushed her limits to the max. Those netnavies from before won't be following them anytime soon.

When concentrated on, her claws can be as gentle as possible. The dragon made sure to keep Forte protected from the fast wind she created, even if his position was likely uncomfortable in her arms. The hold on the netnavi was extremely delicate, but the grip was firm enough to keep him from falling. Her wounded friend's wavelength indicated discomfort, but there was no complaint from him.

Once the area was deemed safe by her brother(the souldew was perched on her back.), she carefully placed the wounded netnavi on the new ground. She leaned down and nudged his laying form, worriedly. The souldew rolled off her back, and Latias caught it with a swift movement. A soft whine escaped her throat as Forte barely reacted to her touch. Pixels escaping his form only further increased her worry as time went by.

Forte appeared extremely pained and likely couldn't speak through the agony. Latias lightly used her nose to push him over, mentally apologizing when the other let out a choke of suffering. Her eyes darted to the main wound on his chest, a large zigzagged slash cutting the circular button-thing on his front. Instead of the familiar sight of running blood, he had particles spill from his very being.

Latias didn't understand this, but she knew it was a terrible thing. She had to stop it somehow, or her friend wouldn't last any longer.

She viewed the netnavi's heavy breathing, watching his hazy red eyes blink in and out of focus. The odd wrist jewelry was gone, but that wasn't her concern. Another whine left her mouth as she sniffed around him for anything useful. Seconds later, and Latias came up empty-handed. Of course _not._ There wouldn't any berries on him. Why did she even think of that? This wasn't her domain, and she doubted there were fruits of healing...

...Wait a moment.

The dragon wondered if her support moves would work on the dying netnavi; it was worth a shot.

She lowered her head to his, linking with his mental barrier and placing an aura of calm over to the other. Forte (perhaps unwillingly) latched onto the link, becoming slightly calmer in his erratic desperation. His motivation to cling to life became much more solid, all the more determined, and the psychic encouraged those feelings. It wasn't wrong wanting to live, no matter what those monsters from before likely spat in their poisonous wake.

Not a second later, she used one of her moves to mitigate the major wound.

The aura of Heal Pulse flooded her scales and claws. The gentle waves wrapped around Forte and traveled along his limbs to heal the minor wounds while emitting a soft glow. Immediately the major wound was cultivated when the healing process got close enough, attempting to stitch the particles back together. Latias kept her concentration up despite the energy leaving her. Her muzzle didn't leave the netnavi's head as her own made up several ideas of how to heal him faster.

 _It's not working completely._ Her brother finally piped up, and he sounded oddly tired. _You need to add something else._ Although he wasn't informative on _what_ she had to get Forte.

Prey? The other was too injured to hunt for himself, right? Perhaps he needed food? She could do that in a jiffy.

 _Food would be secondly needed. Do you really think he'll survive the time you'll be gone?_ The rebuttal shut her inwards thoughts down. _Just...You care about this creature, don't you?_ The question was gentle as the pulses of energy she offered to the damaged humanoid. _Then...I'll help out._ The words took a moment to fully register.

Her mind then proceeded screamed negatives because _no._ Latias cared for Forte a lot, but she can't handle her brother abandoning her. A self-sacrifice? She had no right to choose any of that! Her eyes shut tightly to assure comfort in the darkness. The netnavi's soft breaths would've been comforting if he still weren't on death's front door.

 _Don't worry, I won't disappear._ Her brother reassured with a tint of determination. _It'll merely take a bit of my own energy. I promise to talk again when it's recovered._ Her brother never broke his oath when the situation was under control. There was no reason _not_ to trust him...But…

 _Latias. You're wasting time._

The psychic pulled away from Forte for a moment, making sure he was stable for a few more minutes before looking to the soul dew in her claws. It glinted, many hues of blue swirling on the inside. She nuzzled the gem before adopting a serious expression and placing the mythical sphere by the recipient. Her brother was right. She's only wasting precious time. Her brother was very important...But Forte is important too.

The laying netnavi made no movement as Latias used a claw to push the sphere closer, almost as an offering. The dark clothed humanoid didn't even twitch, however, as the red dragon seemed to be _daring_ him to do something rash to the fragile orb in his injured state. She's seen what he could do by merely _touching_ things.

Thankfully there was nothing of the sort as the soul dew did its work.

The sphere radiated a wonderful glow of life, the light latching onto the lethal wound in Forte's upper body. The split pieces began forcing themselves back together, linked by a sapphire colored thread. Forte hacked, able to clear his throat after the pain had likely lessened considerably. His dazed ruby eyes remained on his injury, gaze cautious yet amazed. Occasionally he would glance at the waiting dragon before him, but he'd look away when Latias tilted her head to meet his stare.

Once Forte was healed enough to survive on his own, Latias snatched the orb before he could make a grab for it. He netnavi seemed neutral by her actions, shrugging to himself despite the heavy curiosity on his face. Her golden eyes remained on his scarlet ones as she took a moment to breathe in both relief and happiness for her friend's stability. She watched Forte sit up before being satisfied by this new development.

Latias then inspected the soul dew to make sure it was okay, before tucking it back into her arm when deeming its safety. She turned back to him, concerned by his mental healthy despite his wavelength slowly growing in strength. It would take a full day or two for the frequency to stabilize completely.

"What exactly...Is that?" The netnavi had finally inquired, voice raspy. He tensed upon hearing his own wispy tone and averted his gaze. "It feels alive, somehow." Then Forte went quiet.

Latias saw the faintest spike of irritation hit past the weak wavelength. She let out a small huff and gave his head a comforting nuzzle. He didn't back up or anything, so Latias gained the confidence to reveal the soul dew again. This gained the dark netnavi's attention. The blue faintly swirling with colors of dancing ribbons glowed despite being used minutes earlier.

Forte looked fascinated, but he didn't move. This behavior was slightly off for the hothead, and Latias debated if the past hour had something to do with it. Eventually, he glanced away with a huff of his own. "I don't want your dumb possession. Don't look at me like that." The netnavi meant it as an accepting grumble, but instead, he hissed the words out. The rasp only made it worse.

Latias didn't back off, however, and instead whined in concern for his well being. She softly cooed with a frown of her own, spinning the soul dew in her claws.

Instead of a reply, Forte stood up. Sure he stumbled, but he managed to get on two legs without too much of a problem. Still, the netnavi looked irritated by this apparent weakness. He took a breath to cool down and look at his hands. Satisfied with something; the dark humanoid snorted in a pitch close to victory.

Latias remained on the ground. She watched him from below, but eventually Forte turned away with a second thought.

"Thanks…" True appreciation was there, even if his frequency still lacked full stability. It wasn't only the brush of death which scrambled his wavelength, but the near mental damage he faced back in his territory. This wouldn't be easy to recover from, but a few gentle words of gratefulness is a good start to fix himself from the inside out.

Latias chirped in reply, smiling when ruby eyes darted back over to her. Soon his gaze left, and Forte began to walk off with no actual goal in mind. He obviously didn't know where they currently arrived in. Latias didn't know either, but it was better than the place they were in hours before. Of course, the dragon wanted to come and flew after him. Forte paused, an expression flickering across his face as he took a few steps to the left, Latias closely following.

He took several steps to the right, and Latias flew over his head; tilting her own in confusion. How are they going to get anywhere like this? She gently nudged him forwards, but he didn't move. "You're still following me?" Forte didn't sound irritated, only tired. Exhaustion seemed to drip off his words. The mental erode was definitely present, chops of waves spiking in an unhealthy manner.

Latias only nuzzled his arm, cooing softly to calm his already stressed mind. There was no immediate effect. The other was also trembling despite him trying to hide it. The dragon did her best not to notice, knowing how high her friend held his pride.

Forte sighed heavily, eyes staring ahead into the vast distance. A moment of silence flooded the air as the area gained a feeling of acceptance. "You're a really weird bird. ...Dragon. Thing." He finished awkwardly, a breathless laugh leaving him. "You know that?" His question went answered verbally, but the dragon rested her head on the top of his helmet playfully. Her ears twitched, almost as if the appendages were trying to stretch out like his odd helmet fins. Latias heard a small hum of slight amusement in reply.

She watched an invisible thread touch a hole in his wavelength she wasn't able to view before. Latias wondered if this meant he wouldn't feel lonely any longer.

Hopefully, that's the case, because the dragon had a feeling she wouldn't see the aged human anymore.

* * *

"Today will be your last, monster!" A battle cry echoed throughout the net as netnavies charged at Forte with a group of six on one. There was no need to worry though, as this was entirely different than the time her companion was redistricted. Fewer netnavies as well, so this battle shouldn't take too long. Even with their strategy, it was foolish to challenge someone they likely didn't do their research on. This world wasn't a game.

Invisible, she watched Forte from his side. He removed his hands from his newly worn cloak, alarming the offending navies. They raised their own weapons while Forte merely flicked a wrist, providing a demonstration of his power. Two of them were immediately annihilated on contact, and the rest threw themselves backward to dodge in time. Before they were able to recover, her companion seemed to huff.

Latias heard a snap of his fingers. On cue, she jetted forwards with a claw outstretched. Her arm gained an aura of darkness and her sharp tips became engulfed in the matter as she descended on the remaining netnavies and sliced through them. She knew where to attack, as Forte taught her multiple weak points of netnavies. The psychic ignored their cries and watched as they quickly disappeared into many particles. Latias wasn't satisfied until the last of their wavelengths faded away.

...Honestly, she's a predator dragon. Latias had no quarrels with defending her companion. If these netnavies wanted to kill him, then she'd gladly send the same murderous intent right back at them. There will be no mercy for those who attempt to take Forte's life; Latias had long promised that.

A snort left her, and the dragon flew back to Forte, revealing herself since they were alone again. She wanted until he finished up collecting...Whatever he was taking from the particle remains. Her golden eyes shined bright as she glanced up at him, expecting something.

Forte's wavelength adopted an aura of both lightheartedness and annoyance. He finally paused, turning to her and giving her a gentle pat on the head. Latias immediately leaned onto his touch like all the other times, knowing she would always protect him with her life. The hothead was different than anyone she's ever met, but he was kind too. ...In his own special way. Forte had become a lot quieter since that day, but that was okay. Latias didn't need words to see how the other was doing.

She was content with the times they spent together, exploring this wide and vast place called the Undernet. ...At least that's what Forte called it. The dragon assumed the netnavi knew what he was speaking of.

 _You're too spoiled._ Ah, and her brother fully recovered as well. The soul dew only needed time to regain energy, just like her older sibling said. He's always giving his commentary now. _...I think he knows this as well._

Latias ignored her brother in favor of focusing on the digits softly massaging her scales.

"Thank you, Melodia. Now, how about we go check out the area up North? ...I heard there are stronger opponents over there." There was a bit of competitiveness in his tone, and Latias nearly rolled her eyes. Instead, she nodded and chirped in agreement. Forte turned away, beginning to go in the direction he wanted. His wavelength dulled back to a neutral calm, smooth against her own nerves.

"Let's go." And so the dragon masked herself. She then joined him at his side, eyes ahead on the future.

Forte doesn't ask about her leaving him anymore.

It's a blissful life.

* * *

 **Dex: [** **Latias is highly intelligent and capable of understanding human speech. It is covered with a glass-like down. The Pokémon enfolds its body with its down and refracts light to alter its appearance.**

 **Latias is highly sensitive to the emotions of people. If it senses any hostility, this Pokémon ruffles the feathers all over its body and cries shrilly to intimidate the foe.]**


End file.
